Enter the Labyrinth: Creativity Coaching with Alison Gresik

The left to handle language and logic ~the right to access sensation and emotion.

You need both to make great art.

A robust creative life asks for all of you: smarts and heart, dreams and nerve.

And a robust creative life sustains all of you with energy and joy and meaning.

But what happens when one half of your brain is running the show and the other is side-lined?

I do my best coaching with a certain breed of writers and artists: the organized, the disciplined, the methodical.

Those who are more ant than grasshopper.
Those who know how to meet deadlines and word counts, who drive themselves to accomplish their goals.
Those who can work on command and are capable of pushing through tremendous resistance with the strength of their will.
Those who don’t see themselves in the traditional image of the bohemian free spirit, the floaty dreamer who does yoga on the beach and delights in making a mess.

Investing in coaching with Alison was one of the best decisions that I’ve made for “me.” I’d always wanted more than anything to write poems, essays and stories, but with limited time, a demanding non-writing job, and strong fear of failure and mediocrity, plotting and finishing stories started to seem impossible.

She coached me through exactly what my problems were, and exactly where I needed to look to address unproductive attitudes and beliefs. With unhelpful perfectionism identified, we moved into loosening up my work and mindset and finding more time in which to work. My writing, and the time and attitudes to support it, have moved ahead dramatically thanks to Alison’s intelligent, insightful coaching. ~ Marla C.

If you’re a more left-brained creative, you’ve probably run up against avoidance and burnout.

Maybe you never really let yourself get started with your art.

You wrote the book on procrastination. You get drawn into detour projects that take you far away from what you wanted to do. You make sure every other part of your life is taken care of before you go to the studio. Even when you’ve got the time, it seems to slip through your fingers.

Or you charge in full steam and run yourself into the ground.

You box yourself in with too many commitments and then skimp on sleep and self-care to get things done. There’s no wiggle room between your high standards and your tight deadlines. You overwork your muse into catatonia.

You may also find that your art is lacking a certain verve and daring.

Your compulsion to create is a wonderful thing, but that ambition becomes damaging when it gets disconnected from your source of power and inspiration, your wordless creative intuition.

You’d love to play or daydream or doodle but your task-master won’t let you ~ makes you earn it first ~ turns it into a chore and takes all the fun out of it. You crave the satisfaction of producing something, checking things off your list, but you rebel against it at the same time.

How can you bring the two halves of your brain, the dimensions of your creative personality, back into collaboration?

What really stood out to me about my time in your coaching circle? How well you listen. You’re a gentle, supportive voice, who worked with my own creative flow and process rather than trying to shape it to fit your own methods and approach.

Your knowledge and experience subtly seeped into my brain through our conversations, and as we got more comfortable with each other, I really came to admire and treasure our talks. Thank you for that.
~ Tori Deaux, The Circus Serene

Enter the Labyrinth

The Labyrinth is a quiet, contemplative, sacred space.

Where you cannot make a wrong turn.

Where there is continuous progress, with no pressure to arrive.

Where you are supported by the structures in place.

Where you inhabit a quality of stillness in motion.

Where you instinctively follow your natural creative process and rhythms.

The Labyrinth holds you and frees you at the same time.

These are the characteristics you can bring to your art-committed life.

This is the place you want to be if you’re looking for flow.

Enter the Labyrinth is two 60-minute coaching sessions a month for a total of $150. We begin with a three-month commitment, so you have time to ease into change and get your various selves working happily together.

Depending on your needs, we will cover various areas of your creative life:

Design: Know what’s most important to you and move with calm intention toward your goalsFeeling good: Dial down anxiety and negativity, and improve your mood whenever you want toStructure: Change your environment and build routines so your creative side can flourishConnection: Foster artistic partnerships and ask for support and respect from friends and family

When would you choose this coaching program?

When you want to make sweeping changes in a gentle way
When you want support for building and maintaining new habits of thought and practice
When you are going through transition and want to design a new normal for your creative life

Alison was a great help to me when I was trying to get my online art gallery off the ground. Thanks to her encouragement and insight, I was able to see the places I was sticking and find a way around them to finally launch the site. In addition, she helped me find the time and energy to get back into my studio and finish up some projects that had been languishing. I really got a lot out of the time she spent working with me! ~ Amy Crook, Antemortem Arts

I remember clearly that this current phase of my life began when you and I met at the Raw Sugar Café, and my intention to take the reins of my life led me to commit to sorting through what was holding me back.

Talk about commitment! And about the power of intention, and the power of your coaching. I feel so grateful to you for sharing your genius with me and for truly opening my eyes to the possibility of living from my strengths. ~ Natalie Morisset

What kind of results can you expect from Enter the Labyrinth?

You consistently tap into flow ~ a highly enjoyable state of immersive creativity

You don’t force yourself to write or make art when you’re depleted

You practice restorative activities on a regular basis

Desperate self-soothing procrastination loses its grip on you

You no longer feel like you should work all the time

You produce more art without sacrificing your quality of life

You have labyrinths in place ~ structures that support your spirit and your creative practice

You feel good more often, and you know how to help yourself feel better when you don’t

How can you enter the labyrinth?

Embarking on long-term coaching is an important commitment of time, money, and heart. I want to help you make sure the decision is the right one for you. Pick an entryway:

Purchase The Field Guide to Truth and Beauty and explore your artistic beliefs and values. If you become an on-going client, I will deduct the cost from your first month’s fees.

Other details about coaching that you may be wondering about:

Coaching takes place by phone or Skype.

All fees are payable in advance through PayPal.

Coaching is not therapy. Coaching is for people who want insight, tools, support, and accountability in order to make specific changes. We won’t get highly personal, but we will dig into your creative process.

As your coach, I can offer you the companionship, structure, and affirmation you need to keep at it. You will bring your commitment and initiative to make change.

Information and revelations about your creative process and projects are safe with me. I value confidentiality in our working relationship.